Thursday, January 24, 2008

The Future of Shawlands

On Tuesday 29th of January a meeting will be held to discuss the future of Shawlands. The meeting, organised by Shawlands and Strathbungo Community Council and Southside Media, will be attended by local MSP Nicola Sturgeon, local councillors and Glasgow City council representatives.

This is a great oppurtunity to have your say in the way forward for Shawlands. Does the area need a Town centre action plan? Whats happening with the Shawlands Arcade? How can we improve the area.

If you've got time go along to the meeting and have your say about your area. The meetings at 7.30pm and is being held at Langside Halls.

Some idea's Alburt had [taken from use them or lose them post]

There needs to be a strategic rethink of the Southsides, mini shopping centres, some suggestions, please post your comments, alternatives:

Shawlands Arcade needs to be completly redesigned to make it attractive to shoppers and to give a bit of life to that stretch of Kilmarnock Road. (We've conacted the centres owners to find out their plans, but have had no responce, anyone any ideas what the plans are?)

Need more specialist Shops to attract tourists, shoppers from elsewhere.

Shops need to change opening hours. Maybe opening at 10am until 7pm.

Shop Community meetings for the shop holders to meet, and plan how to work together to improve things.

Govanhill should be promoted as an area of ethnic shops - like the way Brick Lane is, in London.

Other areas should try to specialise or at least promote different specialities ie Shawlands could promote small individual fashion stores from new designers.

Better signage and maps connecting the Southside areas to the City Centre and Westend. (From speaking to a number of friends from these areas, they don't acutally know the southside exists or how to get there!!)

We've always had a great array of individual shops in the Southside but as more competition rises up around them, they are going to continue to struggle and decline if they don't get help.

G41 have set up a petition about the future of Shawlands click

If we don't use them we're going to lose them. We thought it would be interesting to generate a list of specialist shops within the Southside area so if you know of a great little shop in the Southside that saves you having to go into the City centre then let us know.